Standard practice for drug-facilitated crime investigations or cause of death determinations typically involves an initial screening of biological samples for drug classes, followed by confirmation and quantitation using more specific techniques. Labs have traditionally relied on immunoassay for drug screening and GC-MS for confirmation and quantitation of drugs and metabolites.
Large sample backlogs and limited resources are driving demand for faster, more efficient forensic toxicology workflows. LC-MS/MS is replacing GC-MS for forensic toxicology casework because it provides better sensitivity compared to GC-MS for a wide range of analytes and does not require the derivatization of non-volatile compounds. More recently, methods where both screening and confirmation are performed by LC-MS techniques are increasing because of improved specificity compared to immunoassay for drug screening.
Forensic toxicology casework results must adhere to the rigorous standards required for legal proceedings. A pioneering approach developed by PinPoint Testing leverages two LC-MS/MS methods with identical chromatography conditions run separately on two orthogonal LC columns for drug screening and confirmation. This breakthrough workflow meets the criteria set by The Academy Standards Board (ASB) of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS).
PinPoint Testing’s innovative technology utilizes their ToxBox® for sample preparation, followed by LC-MS/MS analysis. The process employs a Phenomenex™ Kinetex™ Phenyl-hexyl column for drug screening and a Phenomenex Kinetex Polar C18 column for quantitation. Harmonizing LC method conditions across two different LC stationary phases, using the same sample preparation procedure for both methods, simplifies the workflow and improves lab efficiency.
This targeted panel covers 60 illicit, prescribed, and over-the-counter drugs and metabolites from multiple drug classes, including stimulants, sedatives, and analgesics. Harmonizing the LC-MS/MS methods for confirmation and screening improves efficiency, reduces false positives and false negatives, and reduces turnaround times — all while complying with ASB standards. PinPoint Testing’s harmonized LC methods using two orthogonal Phenomenex columns results in more efficient forensic toxicology workflows. Laboratories can reduce turnaround times while ensuring results meet the demands required for legal proceedings.
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